Features

  • the carcass of a dead animal lies next to the limestone quarry that borders the site of a 1970 trichloroethylene spill near Le Roy, Photographs by Donna Goldstein.
    In 2011, 12 high-school girls in upstate New York began to exhibit strange neurological symptoms: tics, verbal outbursts, seizure-like activity and difficulty speaking. The diagnosis was 鈥渃onversion disorder.鈥
  • Climate change
    When Peter Blanken flew to Paris for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in December, he had somewhat low expectations. But the CU-Boulder geography professor was heartened to see and hear that the 200 countries attending COP21 agreed on the urgency to act. 鈥淭here was a strong sense that if we don鈥檛 do something in these two weeks (of the conference), it will be too late.鈥
  • What Rousseau didn鈥檛 know
    Economic inequality is a hot topic in a presidential election year. Economists, politicians and journalists are all weighing in 鈥 but what, exactly, can an archaeologist bring to the discussion? Sarah Kurnick, a Chancellor鈥檚 Postdoctoral Fellow at CU-Boulder, is glad you asked.
  • Carbon fiber material
    Strong and light carbon-fiber composites can be easily and cost-effectively recycled into new material just as strong as the originals, a team of researchers led by CU-Boulder has found. The composites are popular because they are lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel. Unlike metal, however, carbon-fiber composite is generally not recyclable.
  • CU research IDs new strategy to fight species extinction
    The go-to-strategy for rescuing threatened species has long been to set aside tracts of healthy land to spread out in, and migration corridors that allow them to mix with other populations, gaining resilience via a broadened gene pool. Because habitat preservation isn鈥檛 always viable, introducing genetic diversity might keep threatened species viable, scientists find.
  • Young child
    Generally, 鈥榲oluntourism鈥 is a poor substitute for traditional development work. Most projects are short-term, organizations that promote voluntouring don鈥檛 always 鈥榰nderstand the place where it happens,鈥 and travelers typically don鈥檛 have skills needed for particular projects, researchers find.
  • Happy senior
    Some peer-reviewed studies have found that happy people tend to live longer than their less-happy counterparts. But now, for the first time, researchers have found that happiness all by itself鈥攔egardless of marital status, income, physical health and other indicators鈥攊s a key factor in longevity.
  • Man running from zombies
    Sure, there are endorphin junkies who love to enter the 鈥榩ain cave,鈥 but for those who鈥檇 rather play, fleeing from 鈥榸ombies鈥 does the trick, CU-Boulder researchers find.
  • Skeleton holding head
    Nearly 1,000 students, most in the CU Club Sports Program, have benefitted from a cutting-edge clinic that tests for and treats concussions. Those who have suffered concussions are getting timely treatment, which helps them recover and stay in school. The CU clinic is gaining notice nationwide.
  • Liberal-arts business minor students
    More than 600 non-business students are now enrolled in the integrative business minor program at the University of Colorado Boulder. The program underwent a massive overhaul and debuted its slick and slimmed-down 12-credit program in fall 2013鈥攁n appealing alternative to the former, clunky 24-credit program. The program is popular and exceeding enrollment projections.
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